2009-01-04 12:43:41 -

Pro-choice group Freedom To Choose have huge reasons to celebrate this New Year. The group has lobbied hard for policies to been drawn on official statistics and data, and to demonstrate how ‘public consultations' are in fact ‘fixed' and ‘seriously flawed'.

Andy Davis, chairman of the group, is delighted that Sir Michael Scholar of the UK Statistics Authority is advising that official data should only be used to draw up political arguments when it is released. (1)

Mr Davis states, 'this would have been tremendously important with regard to the Scottish ‘Pell Report' which had been systematically used to further enhance tobacco control policies. Official data now released prove it to be fundamentally flawed, with heart attacks on the increase in

Scotland since the smoking ban.'

'Had the recommendations from Sir Michael been applied, then this misinformed report would not have seen the light of day.'

Freedom To Choose are also celebrating with their lobbying against the use of block votes by groups funded by the government, particularly in relation to the Tobacco Control Consultation. Concerns are now being raised from both the Taxpayer's Alliance and Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary. (2)

'This demonstrates what we have known all along,' continues Andy Davis, 'public consultations on health policy, particularly where tobacco is concerned, are heavily biased and I am not in the least bit surprised that these issues are now being addressed.'


1 Call to strip ministers of sneak preview of statistics: news.scotsman.com/politics/Call-to-strip-ministers-of.4840713.jp

2 Government 'fixing health consultations' with taxpayer-funded groups: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/4076290/Government- ..